


Guitar Lessons

by Lackaday



Category: Metal Gear
Genre: Fluff and Angst, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-04-04
Updated: 2015-04-04
Packaged: 2018-03-21 06:24:58
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,380
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3681390
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Lackaday/pseuds/Lackaday
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Snake had never seen his best friend go so long without smiling for real even once. And he hadn't seen Kazuhira even touch his guitar since they formed the Diamond Dogs. Despite his own complete and utter lack of an ability to play or sing, Snake tries to cheer Kaz up with some "music."</p>
            </blockquote>





	Guitar Lessons

One month, thirteen days back together, finally settled in as best as they could be, and not once had Kaz even touched his replacement guitar. Snake had given it to him as a base warming gift after realizing Kaz’s old one was gone. The acoustic guitar sat next to Kazuhira's bed, case and all, unplayed and neglected. Boss eyed it over Kaz's shoulder when the other man opened the door to his quarters.

"Wow, you look like shit today." Snake remarked as Kaz fiddled with his sunglasses. He’d thrown them on quickly when he heard the knock at the door.

"Gee. I'm blushing." Kaz replied in a dead tone.

"Can I come in?"

Kaz shrugged, "You _are_ the boss" and stood to the side.

Snake walked in, taking a seat at Kaz's small desk. He'd made sure to get Kazuhira one of the nicer rooms; large enough for a full twin bed, a bookshelf, a work desk, and some extra space to move around in. Not that it was a huge room, but it was comfortable. A nicer one than he'd given himself, if he was honest. Having a nice room wasn't something Snake particularly cared about, but Kaz deserved to have some of the better things that they could manage. He’d been through enough shit lately.

With a sigh, Kaz limped back to his bed. He really did look like shit.

“So have you just been in here all day?” Snake asked, looking him over. Kaz was still in his bed clothes; with a robe loosely thrown on overtop the white tank and sweats. His face was worn and his hair a mess, and even through the sunglasses Snake could see that Kaz was tired to the bone. “Did you sleep at all?”

“Yes and no.” Kaz rubbed his eyes and let out a sigh. “I mean, _yes_ I’ve been here all day, _no_ I haven’t slept well. But I’m fine, just a… just a bad night.” He trailed off, contemplating something. Or possibly trying to remember what he was just about to say. Boss watched him, all pale skinned and thin after the nine long years apart. Bitterness crept up in his chest just thinking about how long he’d been in a coma.

Kaz seemed to remember what he was going to say. “God, what time is it?”

“Noon.”

“ _Fuck_.” Kaz breathed out, dragging his hand down his face heavily. “ _I just want to_ fucking _sleep but_ -!” He stopped himself, hand balled up in a shaking fist. “Boss can’t you just, there’s gotta be someone who can do my job. I’m not irreplaceable. Especially for just a day.” He pleaded. “You gotta trust _someone_ in this place enough to-“

“Kaz it’s fine.” Snake cut in.

Kaz looked up at him, wound up like a spring.

“It’s fine.” Snake repeated. Kaz slowly set his trembling fist down, looking unbalanced as he sat on the bed alone. Snake’s eyes wondered back to the guitar leaning against the head of the bed. “You try that thing out yet?”

Kaz blinked, looking over to try and see whatever Snake was rambling about. “What?”

“The guitar. Did you try it yet?”

His eyes snapped back to Snake and his mouth gaped for a few moments before spitting out, “ _No_ I _haven’t_.”

Snake stood and shuffled over to it, undoing the locks on the hard case and pulling the blonde guitar out. “Shame” He mumbled, sitting down in his chair again with careless ease.

“Boss, don’t.” Kaz said weakly. His throat threatened to close up and he cursed his damn weepy eyes. Thankfully, his sunglasses were dark and big enough to hide it.

With a marked lack of grace, Snake sat the guitar in his lap and loosely gripped the neck with the whole of one of his hands. He strummed dramatically with the other hand, and then mumbled to himself a bit as he focused on trying to remember where Kaz’s fingers used to linger on the neck.

He could hear Kaz grumble an, “Oh god it’s awful” as he strummed his first ‘chord’. With a smirk, he plucked at the strings in an off key tune which was littered with dead notes. Shifting his fingers around, he tried another ‘chord’ and began his tune again.

“Don’t ever quite your day job.”

Snake looked up and grinned wider as he spotted Kaz hiding a reluctant smile behind his one hand. Snake took a deep breath.

“ _Don’t you dare!_ ”

He started singing along with the tune. Not with actual words, but just off-key nonsense.

Kaz took his hand from his face, clearly trying not to smile, and yelled, “I will _throw_ something at you!”

At that, Boss snorted and sang over him, “ _If you don’t like it then come and fucking fiiix iiiit!_ ”

“ _I will!_ ” Kaz shouted, standing up and limping over to him. He practically fell on top of Snake when he got there, and swatted his fingers away from the neck. Snake let him pry his fingers off and replace them with his own. Kazuhira’s arm had to be twisted around to get into position, so the quality of the chord wasn’t very good, but at least it was an actual _chord_.

After a few of Snake’s strums, Kaz spoke up again in a lighter tone. “This isn’t working. I need an actual seat- move over to the bed.”

Kaz unwound himself and stood up, pulling on Snake’s arm to yank him over to the bed. They toppled onto it, but somehow found their ways into a sitting position with the guitar in Kaz’s lap and Snake leaning over his shoulder.

“You’ve got to put your fingers like this for an E chord.” Kaz instructed as he placed his fingers on the strings and pressed down. “Not even that hard! Go on, strum. Do it.”

Snake leaned in further, pressing his chest up against Kaz’s side to reach around and strum. Kaz could feel his breath on his neck, and tried to act like he didn’t notice. Boss, however, spotted the red creeping up in the other’s cheeks, and smirked.

“Just keep strumming like that. Down-up-down.” Kaz acted like he didn’t even notice how close Snake was as he started switching between chords to create a tune.

This was the most relaxed he’d felt in months.

Snake brushed the exposed part of Kaz’s collar bone with his beard, and smiled as he heard the chord sour briefly. He settled his head in the crook of Kaz’s neck.

“Your nasty hair’s going to get in my mouth like that.” Kaz mumbled.

“Tell me how it tastes.”

Kaz rolled his eyes and started humming, aware of how bad his own singing voice was. When Snake didn’t make any comment, Kaz began softly singing an old song he mostly remembered.

He didn’t sound half bad, if he would say so himself, until he felt the tickling sensation of Snake kissing his neck softly. Kaz choked on the words and coughed, face turning bright red.

“St- _I’m singing!_ I’m singing for you!” Was all he could think of to say.

Boss chuckled deeply, and brought his free arm around Kaz’s waist. He continued strumming with the other. “ _Then keep singing?_ ”

“I-“ Kaz stuttered with forced indigence. “I will!”

He continued trying to sing while Snake worked his way along Kaz’s neck and up his jaw, kissing him and stifling laughter at every mistake Kaz made. Eventually, he pulled Kaz down to lay back on the bed with him. Kaz squawked unexpectedly and clutched his guitar.

Bright red, Kaz looked over at him with a confused smile. “Had enough?”

Snake smiled back. “For now. We should play again later. Start a band, maybe.”

Kaz laughed through his nose and let out a content sigh. “Together we make… what? One full guitarist and a fourth of a singer? Kinda band is that?”

Wrapping his arm around Kaz and pulling him closer, Snake leaned in to kiss him on the mouth. Kaz set the guitar aside and reached over to hold him, kissing back.

When Snake pulled away, he lazily settled in to relax. “An impressive one.”

Kaz smiled like he used to, warm and genuine. Lying there, with Snake and his guitar, Kazuhira could finally feel peace returning.


End file.
